February 5
6 Hours
I started the day by volunteering to lead two library introduction tours which were starting in, oh, five minutes. I put my things away and went to hang out at the front until the class arrived. These tours aren't detailed. They are of the 5-10 minute point-and-talk variety.
After I finished, several of the students came back for help with one of their questions, finding a call number in the catalog. Between my two tours and the two that were after mine, I spent the next hour and a half showing groups of students how to use the catalog, what the parts of results are (title, author, etc.), and showing them a call number on a physical book.
Actually, the group after mine said that they needed a call number for a reference book talking about one of their hobbies. Because there is only one catalog computer and some of the students already had a call number for a regular book and they only had 15 minutes for all of them to use the computer, instead of telling them to look through all the results until they found one labeled as a reference book, I looked at any call number they found, brought them to the same section in reference and tried to explain that they might be able to find a book on the same topic there. I wish we had more catalog computers so that I could better explain to them how to find a reference book in the catalog before they wrote down the call number. I think it would have been less confusing to say. I think that understanding that the same kinds of topics are in two different places is something that is better understood from exposure rather than a 30-second explanation when you are already a bit confused.
After I finished, several of the students came back for help with one of their questions, finding a call number in the catalog. Between my two tours and the two that were after mine, I spent the next hour and a half showing groups of students how to use the catalog, what the parts of results are (title, author, etc.), and showing them a call number on a physical book.
Actually, the group after mine said that they needed a call number for a reference book talking about one of their hobbies. Because there is only one catalog computer and some of the students already had a call number for a regular book and they only had 15 minutes for all of them to use the computer, instead of telling them to look through all the results until they found one labeled as a reference book, I looked at any call number they found, brought them to the same section in reference and tried to explain that they might be able to find a book on the same topic there. I wish we had more catalog computers so that I could better explain to them how to find a reference book in the catalog before they wrote down the call number. I think it would have been less confusing to say. I think that understanding that the same kinds of topics are in two different places is something that is better understood from exposure rather than a 30-second explanation when you are already a bit confused.
Questions of the Day (Besides Helping with Call Numbers)
- I need a book on Viet Nam protests in the United States, but not about the soldiers.
- I need to introduce myself to a library staff member as part of my assignment. (This sounded like the hardest assignment for the students.)
- I'm just walking around because I have to look at the library for class.
- Where do the prints go?
- I have to introduce myself to a library staff member for class.
- I need The House on Mango Street.
- I need a book on how to write business letters.
February 8
4 Hours
I filled out more paperwork for HR, then started looking for Pulitzer drama winners from the past five years who fit a specified demographic.
I sat in on a class that taught psychology first-year students how to search EBSCO, specifically, Academic Search Complete.
The third hour, I worked on some more searching.
The last hour, I taught EBSCO to another psych class. I know it can get monotonous to say the same things over and over, even though the audience is different, but I do enjoy teaching people and trying to help them understand how this knowledge will make their lives easier in the future if they take the time to learn the skills now.
I sat in on a class that taught psychology first-year students how to search EBSCO, specifically, Academic Search Complete.
The third hour, I worked on some more searching.
The last hour, I taught EBSCO to another psych class. I know it can get monotonous to say the same things over and over, even though the audience is different, but I do enjoy teaching people and trying to help them understand how this knowledge will make their lives easier in the future if they take the time to learn the skills now.
Question of the Day
I only got one question, almost as soon as I arrived. There were no printer questions the whole time I was at the desk. What's up with that?
- What is this word and how do you pronounce it? *Points to "parenchyma."*
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